Download - Honey bees on Borage by Tim Dale September 2017€¦ · Honey bees on Borage by Tim Dale. September 2017. Association Apiary Shenmore. After a good start to the season and a few useful

Queen Colour of the Year2017 is: YELLOW

WVBKA Charity Registration Number: 517008

Diary Dates• September1stApiarymeeting• September6th

Committeemeeting• September9thKingtonshow• September22ndApiarymeeting• October8thHoneyshow• November22nd

Planningmeeting

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Planning MeetingTheCommitteewillbemeetingon22ndNovembertoworkonaplanfornextyear’scalendarofevents.IfyouhaveanyideasorcommentsaboutwhatwentwellduringtheyearorthingsthatcouldbeimprovedonthenpleasecontactoneoftheCommitteebeforethemeeting.

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image by Tim Dale

Honey Show and Harvest Lunch October 8th

thekitchensolet’sseewhatyoucanproduce!

Rememberitisimportanttopresentyourentryintherightcontainersandtoreadthroughtherulestoavoiddisappointmentontheday.TheHoneyShowrulesandentryformareattachedtothisnewsletter.PleasesendentriestoSueQuigleyby22ndSeptember,

howeverwedoallowentriesontheday.

Anyonewhoisinpossessionofacuportrophyfromlastyear’sshow,pleasereturnthemtoJuneWilliamsbeforethisyear’sevent.Domakesureyougivethemapolishsotheylookgoodforthenewholders.TheHarvestLunch

formisalsoattachedtotheemailversion

ofthisnewsletter,pleasemakesureyoubookingoodtime.

Davewillbetalkingthroughsomepreparationideasforyourexhibitsintheshowatthenextapiarymeetingon1stSeptember.It’seasytoturnupwithajarofhoney,butwithafewtipsfromDaveyoumighthaveabetterchanceofwinningtheprizes.

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ThisyearwearegoingbacktoPostonMillrestaurantatPostonMillCaravanPark,justoutsidePeterchurch.Thejudgingwillbeopenthisyearsothatwecanlearnaboutthejudgingprocessandpickupsometipsonhowtoimproveourentries.JimandValVivian-Griffithswillbecarryingoutthejudging.

Ifyourbeeshavebeenproductivethisyearyouonlyneedtobringalongtwojarsofhoneytoentertheshow.WearealsointroducingahoneytasteclasscalledtheBlackJar.Theideaisthatthejudgecannotmakeanyassumptionsofthehoney’squalitybasedonitsappearance–thedecisionisbasedpurelyontaste.Anentryforthisclassneedstobeina1lbjarandyouwillneedtoobscurethesurfacewithsomematerialortape.

Itdoesn’thavetobejusthoney;‘BakeOff’enthusiastscanhaveagoatthehoneycakeandotherrecipes.ThisyearcopyingtheBakeOffsystemthereisalistofingredientswitheachclassbutnomethod.Youareonyourownin

WVBKA September 2017 edition, page 1

September 2017Honey bees on Borage by Tim Dale

Association Apiary ShenmoreAfteragoodstarttotheseasonandafewusefulmeetingswehaverunintoafewproblemswhicharemakingtheregularmeetingsmoredifficulttosustain.TheDuchyofCornwallhasbeenproposingreplacingtheshedatthesiteforthelast4-5seasons.Thisyeartheyacquiredplanningpermissionforthealterationsbutwithafewrestrictions.Thereisaclauseintheapprovalthatrequiresthemtousetimberfromtheirownwoodlandwhichhasmeantadelayincollectingthisup.However,inthemeantimetheydecidedtodemolishtheexistingshedtobeabletopreparethesitereadyforthenewbuilding.Thenextphaseofconstructionwillnotstartuntilnextyear,soatthemomentwearehomeless.WehadplannedabarbecueforJulysowhenthesheddisappearedwehadabackupofusingtheassociationawning.Unfortunately,theweatherturnedouttobewetandwindy–notidealforanawning.

Wehavetwomoremeetingsplannedforthisseasonandwearelookingforalocationtoholdthese,awayfromShenmore.Wehaveacoupleofoptions,oneistomeetataroominapub,butonFridaynightstheroomsinthepubswetriedarenotavailable.TheoptionsaretochangetoaThursdayorholdthemeetingsinthebackroomatMoccashall–ifyouhaveanypreferencesthenpleaseletmeknow.

Itisashametolosethemomentumwehadstartedwithourmeetings,howeverwewillgetbacktoprovidingthelevelofsupportwehadinplaceoncewecanestablishaplan.

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Kington ShowThisgreatone-dayagriculturalandcountryeventsshowisonSaturday,9thSeptember.WVBKAhasanoutsidetentstand,rightbesideoneofthemajormarqueessolotsofpeoplewillstoptochatandseewhatwe’redoing.Thereareafewfreepasses(carparkingandentrance)forvolunteerswillingtogivesometimetohelpingonourstand.Ifyouareabletocome,pleaseletRobDoranorDavidWilliamsknowandwewillsendyouapass.Itreallyisagooddayoutandthereisplentytosee.

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WVBKA ArticlesTHISISYOURNEWSLETTERSOPLEASECONTRIBUTETOMAKEITASUCCESS.

Weneedyourphotographs,articles,crosswordpuzzles,seasonaladvice,recipes-anythingrelevantwilldo.

Justonearticleayearfromeachmemberwillprovideenoughcontenttokeepthenewsletterinterestingandvaried.

YoucanemailarticlestotheChairman,PeterWoodwardat:[email protected]

Thedeadlineforarticlesisthe22ndofthemonth

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Wye Valley Beekeepers Association

mailto:wvbkachairman%40gmail.com?subject=Newsletter%20Article

September notes

IfyouhavenotalreadydonesoyoushouldhavecommencedfeedingandtreatinganycoloniesforVarroa.Inaddition,youshouldhaveunitedweakcoloniestoenablethemtopassthewinter–numbersarequiteimportantforgoodwinteringandthereshouldbeagoodfertilequeen.Experiencehastaughtmethatyouwillgenerallyloseoneortwocolonies,itisalmostimpossibletoavoidalllosses.Overtheyearstherehasalwaysbeensomelossforwhateverreasonbutitdoesn’tmeanyouhavedoneanythingwrong.Iwillattempttooutlineoneortwoofthereasonswhybeesgetlostinthewinter.

Numberoneisthatthebeesareunhealthyandaresufferingfromoneormorediseaserelatedproblems.Queenfailurei.e.thequeensbecomedronelayerswhichisusuallyevidentinthespring.Starvationisanotherreasonwhybeesgetlost,inotherwordstheysimplyrunoutoffood.Althoughnottrulyrelatedtowinter,waspdamagecanresultinbeesgettingrobbedout.Always,Irepeatalways,reduceyourentrancessothatyourhivehasasmallentrance.ThisshouldbedoneatthebeginningofAugustanditwillenablethebeestodefendthehivemucheasier.Ifthecolonyisqueen-righttheywillusuallybeabletorepelanywaspswhichmaytrytogainentry.

Providingwehavesufficientmaterial,wewillbedoingabitofqueenraisingattheassociationapiary.WewereluckylastyearattheShenmoreapiary,frommemoryIdon’tthinkwehadasingleloss.I’mnotsureofthenumbersatthemomentbutIthinkwewillhaveatleastsevenoreightcoloniestogointowinter.ProvidingthebeeswinterwellweshouldbeabletostartthequeenrearingsessionquiteearlyprovidingDavidandIarefitandwell.

Rob’s problemThisisaproblemwhichhappensquitefrequentlywhenweforgettoputafullcomplementofframesin,resulting

inwildcombbeingbuiltinthecavity.Actuallythereissomethingtobelearnedfromthis,usuallythewildcombisbuiltabsolutelyperfectlyalmostidenticaltotheframeoppositebutusuallyitisdronecells.Wehadoneinthe

associationapiarythisyear.Astowhatyoudotoredressthesituationdependswhetheritcontainsbroodornot.Ifitisjustwildcombandcontainsalittlehoney,thensimplyremoveitandputaframeinitsplace.Theresultinghoneycanbeusedonthe

breakfasttableascombhoney.Ifithasbroodinitwilldependonhowmuchandwhatkindofbrood.Ifitisdronebroodthensimplydiscard.Ifitisworkerbroodthencutthewaxtothesizeoftheframeandsecureusingwireoruseelasticbands,thebeeswilldotherest–jobdone.Thereisalwayssomethinginterestingtolearninbeekeeping.

Deep comb renewalAnybeekeeperworkingwithbeesmustkeepaneyeonthis.Inotherwords,keepingyourbroodnestingoodorderwithgoodserviceablecombisquiteimportantforgoodmanagement.Thisdoesn’tmeanyouhavetoreplaceeverysinglecombinthebroodnesteveryyear.Ittakesquitealotofenergytocreateabroodnestinthefirstplaceanditisoneofthemodernmistakesinbeekeepingtosuggestthatallcombsshouldberenewedannually.Therearemanybeneficialthingswithinthosecombswhichthebeeshavestrivedtobuild.Oneofthemainthingsispollen,whichiswhatthebeesneedforgoodhealthyprotein.Doyoureallywanttotakethatawayfromthemandmakethembuildfromscratch?Good,soundandserviceablecomb–yes,butnotattheexpenseofthebees.Replacingcombtoolateintheseasonisaverybadthing,especiallyifthebroodrearingisindeclineastheywillhavenotimetorebuildforwinter.

Swarm comb buildingManybeekeeperswillsay‘yes’butlookatwhatthebeeswilldoonanicesetofnewcomb?Truebutwhyaretheyabletobuildanicesetofcombinthefirstplace?Answer,theyhavenobroodtofeed,theyhavenopressure,alltheyhavetodoiscreateandbuildthewaxwhichisusuallywhenthereisanabundanceofeverythingavailabletodojustthat.Rememberwhatweactuallyseeattheendoftheyearisroughlyonethirdofwhatthebeeshavegathered,theresttheysimplyconsumetosurvive.Don’tputyourbeesunderunnecessarystress,theyhaveenoughtoputupwithintheenvironment–theyarewonderfulcreatures.

Dave§



WVBKA Officers for 2017Chairman:• PeterWoodward:[email protected] [email protected]

Vice Chairman:• RobDoran:[email protected]

General & Honey Show Secretary:• SusanQuigley 01981510183 NewHouseFarm,Michaelchurch Escley,HR20PT [email protected]

Treasurer & Membership Secretary:• LeeHowarth 01981550733 47aCrossways,Peterchurch,HR20TQ [email protected]: • PeterWoodward

Association Apiary Management Team:• David&DaveWilliams

Newsletter Editor: • Tim&BelindaDale:[email protected]

Committee:• GeoffDutson• JulietParker-Smith• DuncanPenkey• AndyStrangeway• JuneWilliams• SuzanneWenczek

Catering Committee:• JaneMatthews• JuneWilliams

Mentoring Team:• GeoffDutson 01981500491• CliffRose 01981251844• DavidWilliams 07875426089• PeterWoodward 01981240280

Technical Advisers:• GarethBaker 01600714323• DaveWilliams 01981550320• JohnHowarth 01981550733

Website Editor:• PeterWoodward

Honorary Auditor:• MikePrice

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MiscellaneousWBC EquipmentOneofourmembersisdisposingofanumberofWBCequipment,supers,broodboxes,liftsetc.SeetheBringandBuysectionontheassociationwebsite:http://www.wyevalleybeekeepers.org/formoredetails.

SyrupDavidWilliamshasbulksuppliesofsyrupavailable;pleasecontacthimforfurtherdetails.

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Publishing noteInordertosaveonthecostofink,theimagescontainedintheprintedversionofthisnewsletterwillbeingreyscale

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WebsiteManyapologiesifyouhavenoticedthatIhaven’tupdatedthewebsiterecently.Wemovedhouseat theendof July andare stillwaiting forBT toprovide a broadband connection, so I haven’tbeenabletogetaccess.InthenextfewdaysthatmightberemediedbutI’mnotholdingmybreath–thisisBTwearetalkingabout.

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mailto:[email protected]


mailto:brandoran%40btinternet.com?subject=




http://www.wyevalleybeekeepers.org/

http://www.mswcc.org.uk/